Frank s



(No Model.) I

P. S. HUGKINS.

PORTABLE FENUE MAUHINE.

No. 420,800. Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

N. PETERS. Phnwlflhcgnpher, Wnhi nnnnnn C.

NITED STATES FRANK S. HUCKINS, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

PORTABLE-FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent ITO/120,800, dated February 4, 1890. Application filed October 10, 1889. Serial No. 326,564:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK S. HUOKINS, a citizen of the United States of America, re siding at Dixon, in the county of Pulaski and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable-Fence Machines; and I do hereby declare the follow ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and .use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in portable-fence machines, the object being to provide a fencemachine which will be cheap in construction, and by the use of which fences made up of wire and slats may be built in the field; and my invention consists in the special construction of a frame or tension device, which is mounted on rollers, and in the construction of the hand-twisting device, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly point ed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view showing the construction of my improvement when in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the spool-carrying frame. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the handtwisting device.

A refers to a section of fence, showing the form thereof which is constructed by the use of my improvements.

B refers to sled-runners, upon which is mounted a vertical and inclined beam, through which pass bolts, upon which are mounted the spools carrying the wire. These bolts pass through the inclined beam 0, and adjacent to said bolts the beam is provided with metal projections, which are rounded and have a smooth exterior. These metal projections b abut against the inner faces of the spools, and, when used in connection with bowed or arched springs a, form anti-friction devices or tension-regulators for the wires. Above the springs c, which have openings through which the ends of the bolts pass, are placed washers, and beyond said washers are secured metallic strips or plates 6, which,

through the frictional pressure contact exerted by the spring a, will prevent the turning of the nuts on the ends of said bolts, and,

if further securing, beyond what is aiforded 5 5 by these metallic plates or bars is desired,- the ends of said bars may be turned over one of the edges of the nuts to securely lock them. These metallic bars not only serve to prevent the rotation of the nuts, but also brace the outer ends of the bolts. By this construction the spools can be readily turned and the desired friction given thereto to regulate the tension of the wires. The spools upon which the wire is wound have the pe riphery of their outer heads notched, as shown at f, so that a wrench F can be placed upon the bolts when the bars e are removed therefrom for winding the wires upon the spools, said wrench having an opening which passes over the end of the bolt, a projecting pin which enters notch f in the periphery of the head of the spool, and an outwardly=projecting pin which serves as a handle.

The spool-carrying frame, being mounted upon runners, can be moved from place to place, as desired, and may be held, when placed in proper position, by passing a spike or bar through the end of the bail with which it is provided.

Between the spool carrying frame and twister=heads is placed a slat I, having perforations corresponding with the number of spools carried by the frame, and through these perforations pass the fence-wires, which are first secured to a post.

The twister-head E consists of a disk or plate having a central opening g and arms G G, which project therefrom, said arms being parallel with each other and screw t-hreaded. 0 Upon these arms are first placed nuts ii, and against said nuts a handle-bar H is provided centrally with two perforations, through which pass the wires. This handle-bar is then secured upon the arms of the disk by nuts. The outer ends of thehandle-bar are provided with suitable handles. It will be noticed that .this twister head is simple in construction, and by having the handlebar adjustable upon the arms attached to or formed too integral with the disk the length of the twist given to the wires can be regulated, as well as the distance between the pickets, as the disk will abut against the edge of the picket while it is being twisted. The twist between the pickets is alternately right and left, so that the wire is alternately twisted and untwisted in front of the guide'bar Lwhich has the openings through which the wire passes from the spools, thus allowing the twisterhcads to be moved toward the spool-carrying frame as the pickets are secured in place.

I am aware that prior to my invention movable spool-carrying frames have been provided, and also that hand-twisters are not, broadly, new, and I do not, therefore, claim the same, broadly; but

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a portable-fence machine, a spool-carrying frame having horizontal rods upon which are mounted spools, the ends of said rods being screw-tlireaded and provided with springs which bear upon the heads of the spools, and metallic strips connecting the ends of the bars upon which the spools are mounted, and nuts located above said metallic strips, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The twister-heads herein described,con-

'sisting of disks having screw-threaded arms and a central opening, a hand-bar adj ustably secured upon the arms, said hand-bar having perforations throu h which the wires pass, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In a portable-fence machine,a spool-carrying frame having horizontal rods upon which are loosely mounted spools having the outer periphery of their heads provided with a notch, the ends of the horizontal .rods being screw-threaded and having springs which bear upon the heads of the spools, metallic strips connecting the ends of the bars upon which the spools are mounted, nuts located above said metallic strips, and a key having an opening to engage the end of each rod and a projection to enter the notch in the spoolhead, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK S. HUCKINS. \Vitnesses:

E. J. Hncmns, J. N. BURTON. 

